


Spirit-bound Yashiro Nene

by goblinonmars



Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away, 地縛少年花子くん | Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun | Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Magic, Studio Ghibli, Wizards, spirited away au but with some changes wink wink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24924541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goblinonmars/pseuds/goblinonmars
Summary: Twelve-year old Yashiro Nene is beyond furious with her parents for moving away from her old town due to her dad's job relocation. But after stumbling upon a mysterious tunnel on their way to the new house, she finds that she has a lot more problems to deal with than just a new school.
Relationships: Hanako | Yugi Amane/Yashiro Nene, Minamoto Kou/Mitsuba Sousuke
Comments: 11
Kudos: 50





	1. The Tunnel

**Author's Note:**

> In which Yashiro has a weird dream, her parents don't listen to her, and she meets a strange boy that she feels like she's seen before.

Yashiro woke with a start, a familiar dream lingering in her head. She recalled a pair of golden eyes approaching her in a cold darkness, soft black fur beneath her fingertips, a trail of bubbles as something fell far, far away… 

She blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to remember the dream in its entirety, but like all the other times she’s had it, she couldn’t grasp the rest of it or where it came from. 

That’s when she remembered something else entirely, something that made her wish she’d never woken up. 

She sat up in the back seat and- as expected- there was the bouquet, along with the little cream colored note stuck in the plastic covering. 

_Nene-chan, I’ll miss you! - Aoi_ It read in Aoi’s pretty handwriting. She’d drawn big hearts and flowers with a glittery pink pen, and a small portrait of Yashiro with blushy cheeks, but the more Yashiro stared at it, the angrier she felt. 

It wasn’t fair they had to move just when she made her first friend. Unlike the other kids, Aoi understood her and never thought she was weird for reading stories about supernaturals or obsessing over idols. They never said anything to her, but she knew from the whispers. Aoi managed to at least distract from that, but now because of her dad’s stupid job, she’d have to endure it all over again. 

Tears pricked at her eyes and she sniffed loudly, even sparing a kick to the passenger’s seat for good measure. 

Her mom turned around, a chiding expression on her face. 

“Nene, don’t be like that. We’re almost there!” 

Yashiro peeked out the window, where all she could see were trees. 

“It’s the middle of nowhere,” she complained. 

“We’ll just have to get used to it,” her dad said, causing Yashiro to slump down her seat further. She placed the note back in the bouquet, staring miserably at the pink petals. They were orchids, her favorite flower, but even that didn’t make her feel better. 

“Hey, there’s your new school! Looks cool, doesn’t it?” her dad gestured at something in the rearview mirror. 

Slowly, Yashiro crept up to look out the back window, spotting an ugly, grey building that seemed no fun at all. She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at it. 

“I liked my old school,” she mumbled, dropping her head down to look at the flowers again. That was when she noticed, with horror, that the petals furthest to her were already browning-- the pretty pink fading into sad, crinkled edges. 

“Aoi just got these for me!” she panicked, leaning forward to shove the bouquet in her mom’s face. “How are they dying already?!” 

“I told you not to smother them,” her mom replied, no sympathy whatsoever. 

Yashiro huffed, returning to her seat. 

“My first bouquet and it’s a goodbye present. It’s not even from a cute boy or anything…” 

“Stop whining. Think of this as an adventure!” her mom continued. “See? There’s our house--” she pointed out the window, where there was a row of pastel colored homes sitting higher up the mountaintop, “-- the blue one, isn’t it cute? Your favorite color, Nene.” 

“Whatever,” she grumbled. Truthfully, it _was_ cute, but it wasn’t like she was going to admit to it. 

“Wait, that can’t be right. We should be there by now,” her dad said. 

“Don’t tell me you got lost.” her mom groaned. 

“I probably missed a turn.” he laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, I’ll just take a shortcut.” 

“Don’t do that, we’ll get more lost.” 

“Trust me!” he insisted, and before her mom could reply, swerved into a bypass between a grove of trees. 

“Honey!” her mom protested. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” 

Yashiro stared out the window, watching as they passed a cluster of small shrines. She briefly wondered if she could find any ghosts there, maybe she could explore once she finished unpacking… Wait- she was mad right now! She shouldn’t be getting used to the scenery! 

However, Yashiro’s anger quickly melted into panic as the car began going faster and faster, bumping over the path roughly. She barely got a glimpse at a small Dosojin statue that was semi-hidden in the trees. 

“Honey, honey, stop! You’re gonna kill us!” her mom was screaming, just as she did, her dad slammed on the brakes, almost crashing into another Dosojin mounted in the middle of the road. 

“Who the hell would put this here?!” he threw his hands up in frustration. “What a hazard!” 

“What is this place, anyway?” her mom leaned forward curiously, staring up at the red building behind the Dosojin. There was a huge, arched entryway carved into it, stretching back into darkness. Yashiro shivered imagining what could be behind it. 

Her dad, however, seemed to think differently, as he got out of the car and began to walk towards it. 

Yashiro’s panic grew seeing him get closer to the archway. She didn’t really know how to explain it, but she felt as though something was sucking them in. A deep, visceral part of her wanted to run away as far as possible. Without thinking, she threw open the car door and ran towards her dad, gripping his arm tightly. 

“Dad, let’s go-!” she tugged. 

“The paint’s chipped. It’s pretty old.” he ignored her, looking down to their feet. “Huh. The wind’s pulling us in. It must be fate.” 

Yashiro followed his gaze, staring at her new white sneakers. Sure enough, the yellowish-green leaves littered on the pathway were blowing past them and into the tunnel. 

Yashiro gulped. 

“What’s going on?” her mother’s voice came from behind them. 

“Let’s go in!” her dad grinned. “Adventure!” 

“Adventure!” her mom agreed, raising a triumphant fist. 

“I- I don’t know. Let’s just go back!” Yashiro squeaked, pulling on her dad’s arm again. 

“What’s wrong? I thought you liked supernatural things.” he frowned. 

“Cool ghosts with sad backstories, not creepy tunnels that suck you in!” 

“What if the movers get to the house first?” her mom brought up. 

“It’s fine. They have keys.” he waved her off. “Come on, live in the moment!” and with that, he yanked his arm away from her and headed into the tunnel. 

“Wait for us in the car, if you want,” her mom said, before following him. 

“Urgh.” Yashiro groaned.

She turned around, intending to head back to the car, but jumped when she met face to face with the Dosojin. It stared at her with it’s empty sockets, mouth stretched in a toothless, grotesque smile. 

Yashiro yelped and ran to her parents, clinging to the edge of her mom’s sweater. 

“See? It’s not so bad. Just a normal tunnel,” her dad reassured. 

The tunnel wasn’t as deep as she thought. Still, as they walked, Yashiro couldn’t help feel as though the outside world was getting further away. It gave her goosebumps. 

There was a huge field on the other side. The sky seemed a more vivid blue and the grass was the greenest she’d ever seen, growing long and past her ankles. A rugged path stretched before them, like someone had intended to pave it in but never did. Dosojin were littered across the field, watching them as they passed. 

In the distance was a grouping of pale buildings that looked like they were once very colorful. A aromatic scent came from the same direction. It smelled vaguely like roast chicken.

“I knew it! It’s an abandoned theme park! They were really popular in the 90s, but went bankrupt when the economy collapsed,” her dad explained, grinning as he climbed over a strip of rocks, “This was probably gonna be a river.” 

“But dear, how do you know it’s abandoned?” her mom frowned, climbing over the rocks as well. “Smell that? Something’s cooking.” 

“I dunno…” Yashiro lingered at the opposite side. “Something doesn’t seem right to me.” 

“Hurry up, Nene,” her mom called. Her dad was already climbing up the staircase ahead. 

Yashiro sighed, realizing there was no way for her to get through to them. She struggled a bit to get over the larger rocks, but ultimately made it across and caught up with her parents. 

At the top of the staircase was a deserted plaza with the pale buildings she’d seen before. Upon closer inspection, they were actually really pretty. Some had little stars and planets painted across the walls, others flowers and plants. Rows of red lanterns hung from building to building, neglected by time. The plaza seemed to go on for a few miles, with even more staircases leading up to a vanishing point, where she could only see a red shrine-like structure with the word “oil” written in thick, black font. It made Yashiro a bit sad, knowing that this was probably once quite beautiful. 

The smell was definitely getting stronger. 

Yashiro’s stomach grumbled. They didn’t stop anywhere to eat during the trip, as her mom had insisted on making a nice meal once they got to the new house, but seeing how eager her dad was to find the source of the smell, the chances of that were pretty low now. 

“There!” He pointed to one of the buildings, where a thick plume of steam was rising from the top, and practically bolted towards it. 

Yashiro and her mom followed, eyes widening as he pushed the red curtains aside to reveal plates upon plates of food. There wasn’t just roast chicken, but pork dumplings and buns, fish, questrals, sausage links, and foods Yashiro didn’t even know the names of. 

Her parents immediately seated themselves at the table, piling stuff onto the already set out plates. 

“This isn’t a good idea!” She tried to reason. “What if someone comes back?!” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for it,” her dad said through a mouthful of pork dumpling. 

It smelled so, so good, and Yashiro was hungry, but intuition told her that something wasn’t right. She could just wait to eat when they got home. 

She sighed again, wandering a little further from the food stand to examine the other buildings. 

At this point she just wanted to sleep again. She wondered if Aoi would get a new best friend now that she was out of the picture. Someone who didn’t have ugly radish legs like Yashiro did. Maybe it was good that they moved, after all. Aoi was pretty and popular; she didn’t need anyone like Yashiro to drag her down. 

After a moment’s deliberation, Yashiro decided to walk up to the red shrine thing. She needed a distraction. She was getting too lethargic. 

“Holy crap.” she gasped. 

Behind the shrine was a thick wooden bridge with a bright red railing, leading to what might have been the strangest building she’s ever seen. 

It was about four stories tall and also mostly bright red, with exception of the teal trimming and roof, and gold accents which shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. 

Yashiro squinted. It didn’t look like fake gold, either, and the kanji for “bathhouse” was written on the curtains in front of the building entrance. Just where was she…?!

She walked onto the bridge and looked over the railing. To her surprise, there was a train underneath, running over tracks suspended above deep water and into a tunnel carved into the side of the building. How strange… she didn’t remember being near a river. 

She turned towards the direction of the plaza, when she yelped, spotting a boy that was definitely not there before. 

He was slightly shorter than her but looked to be about her age, with black hair cut to his ears and blunt bangs. Strangely, he wore a black kariginu with a blue kimono underneath, something straight out of a history textbook. But it was his eyes, wide and horrified, that stood out the most-- they were gold, the same color as the eyes in her dream. 

“You can’t be here! Get out, now!” he shouted, rushing forward. 

“Huh?” she stared back, dumbfounded. 

“It’s almost night, you need to go before it gets dark!” he grabbed the collar of her shirt, shoving her towards the plaza. 

“But it was just afternoon!” she shouted, confused, but the boy just leapt in front of her. 

“Go! Get across the river, I’ll distract them! Hakujoudai!” 

“What the hell…” Yashiro mumbled to herself as she ran. She managed to look back just in time to see two glowing circles materialize from out of nowhere and fly towards the bathhouse. 

The boy was right, the sun was slowly setting. The lanterns began to light up above her, casting a hellish glow around her. As they lit, murky, black apparitions with glowing eyes also appeared, moving sluggishly. 

Yashiro’s heart pounded. She had to get out of here. She had to get to her parents. 

Relief washed over her as she spotted the red curtains of the food stand. She could see the familiar colors of their clothes. 

Yashiro spread open the curtains and winced at the smell. Food was all over the counter-- a massive pile of bones and grime and sinew. Her parents looked strange from the back; their silhouettes were large and hulking. But Yashiro was too panicked to think clearly. 

“Mom! Dad! Let’s go!” she shook their shoulders. 

Her parents, or what she thought were her parents, turned around, revealing two distinctly pig-like figures. The only thing remotely similar to her parents were the clumps of hair on their heads. They squealed at her, spewing food from their snouts and knocking over dishes as they did so. She stared at them, paralyzed. 

From within the food stand, someone- no, _something,_ with webbed hands reached out and hit her dad with a swatter. He screamed, reeling back and towering over Yashiro, almost knocking her over had she not run back out into the street. 

Now it was really dark. Yashiro looked around, helpless. This had to be a dream. It had to be. There was no way it wasn’t. 

“Mom! Dad! Where are you?!” she screamed and screamed until her throat hurt. 

Her breaths were growing heavier. She looked around frantically, recognizing the staircase they’d come from, and ran towards it. 

“Wake up, wake up, wake up.” she smacked at her head as she descended the stairs, but it wasn’t working. When she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, she could still see the shadowy figures with the glowing eyes. 

In her hysteria, she didn’t look to see where she was going and fell straight into water. 

Yashiro thrashed, before managing to grasp onto a stone step and crawling back onto the surface. 

“What…?” she stared in disbelief. The previously grassy fields had turned into a deep river. She could still make out the tunnel they’d entered through in the distance, along with the rest of the town. 

Her heart sank. The water was too deep and she couldn’t swim. There was no way she could get across. 

Yashiro’s legs suddenly felt like jelly. She gave into the feeling and crumpled to the ground, covering her face with her hands and squeezing her eyes as tight as she could. 

“I’m dreaming! Please disappear… disappear…” she rocked back and forth on her ankles. Maybe if she kept repeating it, she’d finally wake up. 

When she opened her eyes again, she could see the cobblestone beneath her feet. But how could that be? Her hands were still covering her face. 

With growing horror, she raised a trembling hand up. She could see the river through her palm-- what looked to be a ferry was coming her way; it’s bright lights turning the water orange. 

Her hand had become completely see-through. 

But it wasn’t just that, as she looked down, she realized that her legs, too, were slowly fading. She really was going to disappear. Oh god. This wasn’t what she meant! 

There was a thump as the ferry docked, then a thwump as the doors on it flew open by themselves. Yashiro watched as dozens of yokai exited, making their way onto shore in a neat line. They were large figures with masks covering their faces, some had tendrils waving beneath their cloaks, others were unmasked and unclothed, with huge, bulging eyes and beaks. Dread pooled in her stomach. They were getting closer to her. 

Using what little energy she had left, Yashiro managed to stand up and flee. 

Yashiro wasn’t sure how, but she’d somehow ended up behind one of the restaurants, her back pressed up against the wood as she tried to stop shaking. Her head was throbbing and she was getting so, so tired. It wouldn’t hurt to just close her eyes and fade away completely. She was useless, anyway… 

She heard footsteps moving across the grass. Suddenly, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. 

Yashiro jumped, whipping her head up to find that it was the boy from earlier. His golden eyes shone slightly in the dark. 

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m gonna help you.” he took out a small, round pill from his pockets and put it on her lip. “Swallow this. You gotta eat something to stay in this world.”

“No, I’m not gonna!” she shouted, and tried to push him away, but her arm just fazed through him. 

“I told you so,” he chided. “Now hurry before you disappear completely.” 

Yashiro did as told. The pill was bitter on her tongue and tasted terrible. But once she swallowed it, she felt much better. 

“There we go, you’re back now.” the boy took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “See?” 

Yashiro stared at their joined hands, relieved that her’s were solid once more. The boy’s felt soft but weathered. She looked up at him, and- well, he wasn’t usually her type, but she felt a strange comfort in his presence, like this wasn’t the first time they’d met. 

“Do I know you?” she asked. 

“I’m not sure! You can call me Hanako, though.” he grinned. 

_Hanako._ She didn’t know a Hanako. It sounded a bit girly, to be honest. 

Before she could return the introduction, he moved- placing both his arms over her shoulders so she was pressed closer to the wall. 

Yashiro felt her face growing hot. _What the hell was wrong with this kid?!_

“Don’t move. We’re being watched,” he told her, eyes pointed upwards. 

Yashiro looked up as well, holding back a gasp when she noticed a strange, bird-like creature circling above them. It had tar black feathers, sharp talons, and an angular, humanoid face that, from far away, seemed a bit similar to Hanako’s. 

She shut her eyes and tried to stay as still as she could. Eventually, Hanako shook her shoulder. 

“He’s gone.” 

She opened her eyes. 

“What- what was that?!” 

“Someone you shouldn’t mess with.” Hanako’s expression darkened, before he stood up and held out his hand. Yashiro took it and tried to stand, but it was as though her legs were completely numb. 

“I- I can’t-!” she panicked. 

“Oh, right-” Hanako’s eyes widened, then he bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. 

“Huh?!” Yashiro squealed, face becoming red again. “What do you think you’re doing?!” 

But Hanako just shrugged, pulling on her hands a little harder and hoisting her up. 

“I can stand now!” Yashiro cried in surprise. 

“You can trust me, y’know. I’m not gonna hurt you.” he pouted. 

“I’m sorry.” Now Yashiro felt a little guilty. “It’s just that- I just met you, yet, you feel so familiar.” 

“I have one of those faces, I guess!” he smiled. “Hey…” he looked down, melancholy taking over his face. Yashiro leaned forward, expecting him to say something profound. Instead, Hanako wrinkled his nose-- 

“You know, you have really fat ankles.” 

Yashiro instinctively hit him. Hanako seemed unfazed, though, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. 

“That kiss was a protective spell, by the way. Now, let’s go-!”

Without further warning, he began running, pulling her along with him. 

Hanako was running abnormally fast, and their surroundings soon became a mass of oranges, yellows, and reds. He led her through a back room filled with animal carcasses- Yashiro almost gagged from the smell- and a freezer filled with hanging meat that smelled just as bad. Finally, there was a strip of pens containing rows and rows of pigs. Yashiro craned her head, trying to find her parents, but the sinking feeling in her gut told her it was to no avail. 

They reached the wooden bridge with the red railings from before, but this time it was filled with different spirits and yokai, making their way into the bathhouse. 

“About the protective spell- it’s given you the ability to roam this realm, but that doesn’t mean the other spirits won’t be able to see you,” Hanako whispered in her ear. “You’ll need to hold your breath to keep invisible, so once we step on that bridge, do that, okay?” 

Yashiro nodded hesitantly, trying to ignore the rapid beating of her heart. 

Hanako squeezed her hand in reassurance, staying composed despite her tight grip. They made their way across the bridge. Like he had said, it seemed that none of the spirits could see her, so Yashiro allowed her gaze to wander, awed by their bulbous forms. There was even a radish shaped one that made her very conscious about her legs. 

When they reached the middle section, Yashiro felt a darker aura. Like Hanako, this spirit appeared more human, and had pink hair and a pale face, partially covered by a strange mask with glass eyeballs sculpted onto it. The spirit wore a black cloak that engulfed his arms. Eyes were also stitched into it, and Yashiro wasn’t sure if they were really blinking at her or if it was her imagination. The spirit tilted his head, watching her curiously. He was pretty handsome, actually, but the way he stared creeped her out, and how was he able to see her anyway?! It couldn’t have been her imagination. Either way, Yashiro averted her gaze.

The edge of the bridge was getting close, which was good because she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold her breath. 

As though he could read her thoughts, Hanako mumbled. 

“Almost there.” 

“Honorable number seven!” someone called out. 

What looked to be a pufferfish with two stubby legs was coming their way, tailed by a tuna with a bowtie. They jumped up so they were the same height as Hanako. 

“Honorable Number Seven! Tsukasa has been looking for you!” 

Yashiro couldn’t hold it anymore- she took a small breath. 

Immediately, the pufferfish’s eyes were on her, shocked. 

“A human?!” 

“Hakujoudai!” Hanako shouted, and again emerged the two glowing circles, engulfing the fish and holding them in place. 

“Go!” Hanako grabbed her and _flew_. 

There was a little wooden door hidden at the side of the bathhouse. Hanako slid it open and pushed Yashiro inside. 

Yashiro was gasping, trying to breath again. She could hear distant shouting. 

_“Human! There’s a human here!”_

_“Inform Master Tsukasa!”_

_“Where is Honorable Number Seven?!”_

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it!” Yashiro cried, tears pricking her eyes. 

“Yashiro, it’s okay. You did your best.” Hanako’s voice was calming. “Now listen carefully-” 

“Wait, how did you know my name?” 

“It’s a secret.” he grinned, then grew somber. “But that’s not important right now- they’re already looking for you, so you need to get out quickly. Go through the back door-” he gestured behind her, where there was indeed a wooden door attached to the fence. “Go all the way down the stairs and you’ll see a green door. That’s the boiler room. There, you’ll find Tsuchigomori. He’s a little grumpy, but ask him for a job.” Hanako laced their hands together again. His eyebrows were drawn tightly. “Even if he refuses, keep asking him. You need to get a job no matter what, or else- or else Tsukasa will turn you into a pig.” 

“Tsukasa?” Yashiro frowned. 

“The bird you saw earlier,” Hanako clarified. “If you do come across him, um, we’re twins, okay? So we look the same. Remember, I’m your friend.” 

So Yashiro hadn’t been imagining things. But for Hanako to warn her, that must mean--

“Is he dangerous?” she asked. 

“He’s-” Hanako paused, thinking. “He’s complicated. Just… Be careful when you meet him. He rules over the entire bathhouse, but if you manage to get a job, he won’t be able to hurt you.” 

There was a flicker of fear in his eyes. Hanako had seemed so confident up until now. This Tsukasa person must have been terrifying. 

_“Honorable Number Seven? Where did you go?”_ came a voice. 

Hanako stood up. 

“Wait!” Yashiro cried. “Do you really have to leave me?” 

Hanako smiled sadly. “I promise I’ll come find you again, and I’ll help you change your parents back. Trust me for now, alright?” he held up his pinky. “Pinky swear.” 

Yashiro stared, then slowly hooked her pinky around his. 

“See you later then, Hanako-kun.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the story behind this is-- i got really bored during quarantine, watched spirited away about 10 times (i wish i was exaggerating) and thought. hm. spirits... magic ghost boys with mysterious pasts... fiesty fox girls... a cynical spider man... time to make a jshk au. actually am not really sure how this is gonna turn out because im writing it as i go but we shall see. also nene's parents have 100% of chihiro's parents characteristics since we don't really know much about them lol 
> 
> thank you for reading!!!


	2. The Bathhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yashiro is sick and tired of radish jokes, meets some allies, and has the worst job interview of her life.

_This was fine._ Yashiro stared ahead in complete disbelief. _This was totally, completely fine._

She tried to calm down, but she really couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Who builds stairs with _no_ railings?!” she shouted. Her voice echoed off the walls, but she was too frustrated to care. 

She could see the train below, at least a hundred feet from where she was, and gulped. 

Oh well… It wasn’t like she had much of a choice. 

Slowly, Yashiro lowered herself onto the first step, then slid down to the next one. It took more time, of course, to scoot from one stair onto the other, but at least she wouldn’t fall to her death. She was doing it, maybe it would be okay after all! 

Over-confident, she accidentally missed a step and slipped, falling a good three steps before one of the planks she stepped on collapsed altogether, causing her to crash downwards. 

Yashiro screamed in terror, but was immediately silenced when she slammed into the cement wall at the bottom. 

She pulled back, seeing stars. 

Yashiro took a deep breath and waited for her vision to return to normal. Tears formed at her eyes once more. She felt dirty and gross, and she missed her parents. She wanted to go home. This was too much for her. 

She heard a noise and glanced up. One of the frog spirits had opened a window to smoke. Despite her lightheadedness, Yashiro managed to move herself further down the wall so that she wouldn’t be seen. There, she spotted another set of stairs, this time leading to a green door. 

That must have been what Hanako was talking about. 

Casting a cautious glance behind her, Yashiro continued downwards, reaching it. The handle was warm, and when she opened it quietly, she was immediately hit with a burst of hot air. 

Yashiro entered the room. Well, it was more of a hallway, really. It was dark and lined with thick pipes, though there was a faint orange light ahead. The entire space groaned and creaked mechanically, as though she were in the belly of a beast. 

She stepped towards the light cautiously. As she neared, she realized it was coming from a furnace, blazing bright with untamed flames. A cluster of pink creatures were waddling towards it in a single-file line, clutching chunks of coal between their rabbit-like ears and tossing it into the fire. 

Yashiro was so transfixed on them that she failed to notice the other person in the room.

“What do you want?”

She looked up, eyes widening. Above her was a tall man with a sharp, intimidating face partially covered by a greying fringe, perched on a wooden platform. He stared at her through his glasses judgingly, and extended one of eight charcoal colored arms to his mouth to puff on a pipe. 

“Um, hello.” she managed to find her voice. “Are you Tsuchigomori?” 

“Who’s asking?” a cloud of smoke came out as he spoke. 

Yashiro stepped forward. 

“M-my name is Yashiro Nene. I was told by Hanako-kun that I could find a job here?” 

“Hanako?” he glanced at her curiously. “Oh, you mean Number Seven. _That brat._ ” he grimaced. “You’re out of luck, kid. I don’t need any help, I have the mokke.” he gestured towards the pink creatures. “They do everything I tell them to because they’ll be cursed otherwise.” 

A bell rang, and several red tokens, fastened to twine, lowered from the chute above Tsuchigomori’s head. 

He groaned. Three of his arms elongated, coming towards Yashiro, who yelped. 

“Move aside,” he told her, and once she did, proceeded to fish an assortment of herbs and dried flowers from the cabinets behind her, still managing to puff on his pipe as he did so. He ignored her afterwards, occupied by the continuous flow of tokens that rose and fell from the chute. 

Yashiro slumped over. She glanced back to the mokke, noticing one that was carrying a particularly big lump of coal. 

“Here, let me help with that,” she said, bending down to take it. 

The mokke allowed her, squeaking out a small “ _Thank you!”_ that Yashiro found quite cute. 

It was much heavier than she expected, but she joined the rest of the procession walking up to the fire. The flame was much more intimidating up close, spitting out sparks every time one of the mokke dropped coal in. Once it was her turn, she stepped, inch by inch, until she was close enough to the furnace mouth. She waited for it to open and threw it in frantically, before running back to safety. 

Tsuchigomori scoffed. “And you say you want to work here.” 

The mokke, on the other hand, began swarming at her feet, each dropping their coals in front of her. 

_“Radish girl, take it.”_

_“Thank you, radish girl.”_ they mumbled. 

“Who are you calling radish?!” Yashiro squealed as the coals piled into a small mountain at her feet. 

“Are you kidding me? Get back to work!” Tsuchigomori shouted. “Do you all want to be cursed again?” he glared at Yashiro. “Well, Miss Radish, understand why you can’t stay here?” 

Suddenly across the room, a small door slid open, revealing a pretty blonde woman with bright green eyes. She wore a uniform similar to Hanako’s, except it was a vibrant red. In her hands she balanced a bowl of rice with what looked to be bonito flakes on top, as well as a woven basket. 

“You’re really disgusting, you know, emo spider,” she ranted. “I would’ve at least picked a more refined bug, like butterflies or ladybugs.” 

“I like crickets, though.” Tsuchigomori extended two of his arms, taking the bowl from her. “The crunch is more satisfying.” he bared his teeth, grinning. 

It suddenly occurred to Yashiro that the toppings on the rice were indeed, not bonito flakes, and she fought the urge to gag. 

“I should just bite your head off, but then again… that would probably taste gross, too.” 

“You’re one to talk, stupid fox,” he said, picking up a cricket with his chopsticks. “Mokke, leave the poor girl alone and get your food!” 

The woman walked closer to Yashiro and dumped the contents of the basket- a variety of hard candies- onto the ground. 

The mokke immediately scrambled, leaving Yashiro standing in the middle of the coal pile. 

“Hey, wait a minute--” the woman squinted suspiciously at her. “You’re the human everyone’s been looking for-!” 

“Honorable number seven sent her to me, apparently.” Tsuchigomori muttered. “She’s looking for a job. Take her to Tsukasa, will you?” 

The woman shook her head. 

“No way. That twerp gives me the creeps.” 

“Wait,” Yashiro spoke up. “You don’t mean Hanako-kun’s twin, right?” 

Tsuchigomori nodded. “He’s in charge of everything here. If you want a job so bad, you’re gonna have to make a deal with him.” 

“What- what’s he going to do to me?” Yashiro stammered. 

“I’m not sure. It’s been ages since I was hired. I barely remember who I was out of the bathhouse.” Tsuchigomori sighed. “Now I’m just a slave of the boiler room.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic.” the woman grimaced. “What’s your name, runt?” 

“Um, Yashiro Nene, Miss-!” 

“Call me Yako. Just Yako.” she sighed. “You’re lucky I’m feeling generous today. I’ll take you to him. We could use an extra set of hands cleaning the tubs, anyways.” she picked up the now empty basket. 

“Thank you!” Yashiro bowed, despite her unease at the thought of meeting Tsukasa. 

“And I expect some type of compensation from you, emo spider!” Yako shouted up at Tsuchigomori. 

“Fine.” he reached over to open one of the cabinets, taking out a dried, brownish white butterfly about the size of Yashiro’s palm and shoved it towards her. 

“Yes!” she stuffed it in her pocket, showing off abnormally sharp canines when she smiled. 

“Don’t say I never did anything for you,” Tsuchigomori munched on a cricket. 

“Come on, kid.” Yako gestured towards the door she came in from. “Leave your shoes and socks, by the way.” 

Yashiro nodded awkwardly, placing her shoes by the cluster of mokke, who began to flock towards it curiously, and followed Yako as she crawled out of the opening. 

“Try not to die.” she heard Tsuchigomori say, as monotonous as ever. 

* * *

Yashiro tailed Yako through the dark hallway and out into an open chamber that stretched upwards, farther than her eye could see. 

“In here,” Yako said harshly, pulling her into a doorless elevator just as it started to move. 

From it, Yashiro observed the countless floors in the bathhouse, all jam packed with Yokai-- some were carrying platters of food bigger than their heads, others were being led in single-file lines and directed into different rooms by toad-faced workers. She could see the shadows of monsters behind thin paper screens, moving as though they were made of water. 

Yashiro shivered, gripping herself by the shoulders. She was still sure she was dreaming, but she couldn’t think of a single way out. 

“Hey, we have to get off now,” Yako informed. Her tone seemed a bit lighter, softer, though it remained strict. She placed a hand near Yashiro’s back, almost touching but not quite, guiding her out of the elevator. 

They went past what Yashiro could only assume was the kitchen. The pungent smell of fresh meat and vinegar and sauce permeated her nose; she resisted the urge to gag. 

Yako took her into another elevator and pulled a lever. Yashiro watched it rise, feeling dizzier with each passing moment. The floors blurred together, as did the chatter from customers and workers alike. Suddenly, it stopped jarringly, and Yashiro lost her balance, lurching forward and into the arms of a stranger. Slowly, she glanced up, meeting the beady eyes of a radish spirit. It’s whiskers- or what she assumed were the two hairy growths protruding from above the spirit’s mouth- twitched. It’s eyes widened as she met them. 

“Sorry!” she jumped back, forcing herself into a deep bow. The spirit just hummed. It’s gaze never left her face. 

“You. What are you doing here?” Yako pushed Yashiro to the side so the spirit could enter, glaring at it with narrowed eyes. 

The spirit made a deep, guttural noise and was about to open its mouth, when Yako placed a hand out, palm facing outwards, as if to say ‘stop’, and the spirit quieted. 

“Not yet,” she muttered, putting her hand down. “I’m taking this girl to Tsukasa so she can get a job. We talk later.” 

The spirit stared at her, eerily silent, when the space around them darkened. The dim orange hues from the lanterns outside the elevator turned purple. Distantly, Yashiro heard the howls of the wind and strange, quiet mumbling, though there was no source she could make out. It became colder. Black sludge emerged from the wooden walls, inching across the floor and towards the radish spirit. It crept up it’s stubby legs and body, slowly engulfing it. The wind sounded even louder, and Yashiro had to cover her ears, tears forming at the corners of her eyes from terror. 

The spirit became a black blob. It’s large, towering form shrinking down to Yashiro’s height. The stubs morphed into arms and hands; it’s head squeezed into itself, becoming smaller, thinner, more boyish. Blonde hair sprouted out of the spirit’s bald head, short and spiky; it’s eyes became larger-- sea blue instead of muddy brown. 

Before she knew it, she was staring at a young boy, probably about her age, wearing a white blouse with puffy sleeves that vaguely resembled the radish spirit’s body and black slacks-- a shocking contrast to the bathhouse’s traditional-styled dress. From his right ear hung a bright red, wood amulet with the words “traffic safety” hand painted in white. 

“I told you to wait.” Yako grimaced. 

“I saw him, Yako,” the boy said, eyes shining. “Mitsuba.” 

“Seriously?” Yako shrieked, making Yashiro jump. “I thought Tsukasa had done away with him by now.” 

The boy shook his head. “Apparently not. He was lingering near the bridge. I think there’s a ward up, so he can’t come in, but he’s here.” 

“You know you’re not allowed in here, either.” 

“Yeah, but. What’s he gonna do to stop me?” the boy grinned, seemingly proud of his statement. 

“Just because you’ve snuck in a couple times doesn’t mean you’re stronger. Don’t let it get to your head.” Yako rolled her eyes. “And anyway, you’re gonna need to remove--” she gestured around them, at the purplish aura that surrounded the elevator. “ _This_. Before he notices a difference.” 

“I won’t take much longer,” the boy said, and finally looked at Yashiro, who was pressed against the wall, staring at him like a deer in headlights. 

“Hello.” he waved shyly. “I’m Kou, second-youngest of the Minamoto clan.” 

Yashiro swallowed. “The what?” 

“She’s a human. Obviously she doesn’t know what you’re talking about,” Yako informed him, and Yashiro shrunk back slightly. 

Kou just stared at her curiously. 

“What’s your name?” 

“Yashiro Nene.” 

“Good.” he sighed, shoulders sagging. “You still remember it.” 

“Not for long. Tsukasa will probably take it,” Yako remarked with a frown. 

“We don’t have much time, then.”

“Wait--” Yashiro waved her hands in a panic, gaze darting from Kou to Yako. “What do you mean Tsukasa will take it?!” 

Kou gave a long look at Yako, one that caused Yashiro’s stomach to turn. 

“He takes your name, kid. You won’t remember your previous life after he hires you,” Yako sighed, playing with a strand of her hair with abnormally sharp nails. “It’s what happened to all of us, but the bathhouse keeps us warm and fed-- better than living in the wild.” 

Yashiro gulped. _So that’s what Tsuchigomori meant when he said,_ _“Now I’m just a slave of the boiler room.”_

She shivered. 

Kou seemed to notice her discomfort. 

“Don’t worry, Yashiro-!” he smiled, big and bright. “I’m going to protect you.” 

Yako snorted. “You’d have better luck with an actual radish spirit.” 

“I’m serious.” he protested. “I’m going to lift this ward and return to my disguise soon, and guide Yashiro to the top floor. Big sister, you distract anyone that gets in our way. You know the entire bathhouse is looking for a human.” 

“They could also be talking about you.” she countered, glaring. 

“Please,” Kou pleaded. 

“Okay, okay, fine. But no guarantees I won’t tell Teru later.” 

Kou sighed in relief. 

“Now then--” he closed his eyes, and his body was engulfed in that black sludge once more, growing taller and wider until Kou was the radish spirit again. With a quick wave of his hand, the aura vanished, and the elevator started moving again. 

They got off two floors later, Yako grabbing Yashiro’s wrist and leading her across a red and gold bridge overlooking the first floor of the bathhouse. Yashiro spotted the strange, masked yokai she saw stepping off the boat earlier, now soaking in clear, blue water-- tentacles splayed out. Kou followed them closely, his disguise caused him to make big, booming steps that sent some of the fish-like workers flying a few feet in the air as they walked. 

Yako took them to yet another elevator, this time more modern with a closed door and button. She pressed it, squeezing Yashiro’s wrist in reassurance. 

The elevator came down, along with several yokai and a fish-like worker. They piled out without much of a glance. 

“Go, go,” Yako urged, pushing Yashiro and Kou in. Kou moved so that he was mostly blocking Yashiro, though it was slightly unnerving to hide behind his hulking form-- disguise or not. 

Yashiro held her breath just in case. She could hear the fish-like worker interrogating Yako. 

“Why do you smell like that?” the worker asked in a squeaky voice. 

“Excuse me?” Yako feigned indignance. 

“A human. You smell like a human. What are you hiding?” 

“That is beyond rude. Don’t you know not to ask a lady how they smell?!” Yako paused. Yashiro peeked out from behind Kou and saw her reach into her pocket, dangling something in front of the worker. “Could it be this?” 

“Shrimp!” the worker shrieked, jumping up and down to grab it. “No fair! No fair! Oh please, Miss Fox, share a little with me, will ya’?” 

“Not after what you just did,” Yako huffed. “Pull the lever on your right to go up!” she called towards Yashiro and Kou. Yashiro nodded, and squeezed between Kou and the elevator door to reach the lever. She had to stand on her tip-toes in order to do it, but once she did, the doors immediately shut, and they were left in silence once more. 

Yashiro fell back, gasping. They actually made it. She watched as Kou morphed back into his real form, chest heaving. 

“Sorry, it’s hard holding that disguise,” he said, still catching his breath. “I think it should be fine to take a break. Are you okay?” 

Yashiro gave a small nod, though her legs felt like jelly. 

“What are we going to do?” she asked quietly. 

“Well, first we need to get you a job from Tsukasa. You’ll have to go alone once we get to the top floor, he probably already knows I’m here so I can’t get too close.” 

“But- but I don’t have magic!” she protested. “How come I have to confront him alone?” 

“He’ll be nicer to you if he knows you’re vulnerable.” Kou bit his lip, looking off to the side. “Plus, I came here to do something else. I can’t be caught.” 

“Miss Yako said you weren’t supposed to be here,” Yashiro observed, thinking out loud. 

“Yeah. I’m here to, uh- find someone important to me.” 

“Oh.” Yashiro’s eyes widened. Kou averted her gaze and seemed to grow redder the more she stared at him. “I could help you? I’m also looking for my parents. They--” she shuddered, remembering their grotesque pig-like forms. “They were taken away, so I know how it feels.” 

“Would you?” Kou looked up at her, eyes glossy. 

“Yeah, of course!” she smiled. For the first time since she got to the spirit world, she felt a warmth in her stomach, like she wasn’t alone. 

Kou opened his mouth to say something, but the elevator stopped at the top floor, revealing a dark hallway with marble flooring and lined with elaborate, fluted columns. Yashiro stepped out and yelped as she felt water soak into her socks. The floor was slightly submerged in a thin layer of water, though she couldn’t tell where it was coming from. 

“Look for a spirit with pink hair and eyes. His name is Mitsuba,” Kou called out as the elevator doors closed. “Be careful! Remember your name!” 

“Hold on--!” she shouted, reaching a hand out, but it was too late. She was all alone. 

* * *

It was cold.

Yashiro reached down to remove her socks, stuffing them in her pockets. She shuddered, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. Distantly, she remembered how safe she felt when holding Hanako’s hand, or clinging to her mom’s shirt. She really wished she had someone with her right now. 

“Be brave, Nene,” she said to herself, wiping her eyes with her shirt sleeve. “You can do this.” she started walking. 

There was a short staircase at the end of the hall, a beautiful girl stood at the bottom of it. She had grass green hair cut to her ears, with exception of two long strands at the front, and was wearing a long, black dress with a ruffled white collar and sleeves. 

“Hello,” she said as Yashiro descended. Her voice was soft and calm, like an ocean breeze. “You must be the human. We’ve been expecting you.” 

“We?” Yashiro questioned. 

“You may call me Nana.” The girl ignored her. “I am Master Tsukasa’s assistant. I’m here to escort you.” Her drowsy expression did not change as she spoke. 

“Okay. My name is Ya--” she began, before recalling what Yako told her about names. It might be best to not say it when so close to Tsukasa. Yashiro cleared her throat. “Nice to meet you.”

Nana’s lips curved slightly in what Yashiro thought was a smile. 

“Come.” she turned around, pushing open the double doors behind her. Behind it was yet another ornate hallway with a closed door at the end, but before Yashiro could question it, she was grabbed by something invisible and pulled through the air. The doors opened into another similar looking room as she flew, and another, and another. Finally, she was thrown headfirst into a dimly lit room with mauve walls-- bloodshot eyeballs and yellowish ears pulsed out of it. The eyes blinked, boring down at her. 

“You’re so dramatic,” a lilting voice spoke. 

“I have to keep up my reputation,” another voice, not unlike Hanako’s, replied. 

Yashiro sat up, slightly dizzy. 

“Hanako-kun?” she asked wearily. 

“Oh?” a figure at the end of the room turned to look at her. Her vision was blurry but she could make out a mop of choppy brown hair and yellow eyes. But as he walked closer and her vision adjusted, she realized that this person was much, much different. There wasn’t a kind glimmer in his eyes. They were dark and void of emotion, though his mouth was cut into a wide, close-lipped smile, and unlike Hanako, he wore a pitch black kimono paired with a dark, dust purple hakama. 

“Not quite,” he said, bending down to lift her head up with a finger. “But it's interesting that you know my brother, did he talk to you?” 

“He-” Yashiro jerked away from his touch, shaking. “He told me to ask you for a job.” 

“Is that so?” Tsukasa giggled. Two black, wisp-like things circled around him. “Surely he would be disappointed if I said no. Because I usually don’t accept requests from radish-legged weaklings, especially stinking, human ones.” 

“Hey!” Yashiro frowned. The radish jokes were really getting old, and why did everyone say she stinks?

“But who says you have to work here?” Tsukasa’s face was close, too close. His breath smelled like dried blood. “I could turn you into a pig just like your parents, or maybe a mokke. Or- or-!” he jumped up in morbid excitement. “A piece of coal to be tossed in the fire!” 

“What?!” she yelped, closing a hand on her mouth. She was shaking and crying again, but she couldn’t help the onslaught of tears that came, dripping to the already wet floor. 

“Aw. You humans are all the same. Little babies,” Tsukasa cooed mockingly. “How did you make it up here anyway? Someone else must have helped you. Can you tell me?” he placed a hand on her cheek, eyes half lidded. 

“Please,” Yashiro mustered the breath to scream. “Please give me a job!” 

“Not this again!” she felt Tsukasa grip the back of her hair. 

“I just want to work!” she screamed louder. 

“That’s enough from you!” he shouted, tilting her head back before driving it towards the ground. Yashiro squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact, but it never came. She felt a soft aura surround her, and opened her eyes to find herself suspended just above the floor. 

“Stop,” she heard Nana’s cool voice say, and slowly the hand in her hair loosened. 

Tsukasa stood up, head turning to look at Nana, who was by the door. 

“Why did you do that?” 

“She just wants to work.” Nana shrugged. “Can’t you just let her?” 

“Right, I’m supposed to be nice to girls,” Tsukasa said, finger on his cheek. He knelt down again, offering a hand to Yashiro, who flinched back. “Sorry, Miss. Where are my manners?” 

Yashiro stayed put. She wasn’t going to willingly give her hand to such a lunatic. After a moment, he withdrew his hand with a pout. 

“And what is your name?” 

Yashiro grit her teeth, still crying quietly. 

“I need it if I’m really going to give you a job,” he said informatively, as though he hadn’t just tried to kill her. 

“You- you’re going to let me work here?” 

“Of course! My brother and Nana said so. I took an oath, after all.” he walked over to the other end of the room, where Yashiro just noticed was a dark oakwood desk, and removed a piece of paper from it. She also noticed a red-headed boy leaning against the desk, watching her with a concerned expression. 

“Stand up.” he flicked a finger, and Yashiro’s body stood without her control. The paper flew towards her, as did a small ink pen. She struggled to grasp it. 

It was a weathered, yellowing piece of parchment with the words “CONTRACT” written at the top. 

“Sign your name at the bottom line.” Tsukasa waved his hand. 

Yashiro did as told, writing her name as neatly as she could. Right as she finished, the paper and pen slipped out of her grasp and back towards Tsukasa, who read it with a malicious glint in his eye. 

“Yashiro Nene, is it?” he asked sweetly. 

“Y-yes.” 

“That’s really pretty! Mind if I take it?” he asked with wide eyes. Yashiro didn’t even get a chance to respond before he moved a hand above the paper. She watched, transfixed, as he peeled her handwriting off the paper and into the air. The three characters: “尋寧々” stood there, pulsing, before Tsukasa squeezed a fist over them and they disappeared in a poof. 

“Oops!” he laughed, looking back at Yashiro, testing her reaction. She remained still, slightly shocked. “You’ll be known as ‘Hachi’ now, okay?” he asked. 

Yashiro nodded instinctively. 

“Tsukasa,” a familiar voice spoke, and relief immediately seeped into her body. She turned to see Hanako standing by the doorway. 

“Hanako-kun!” Yashiro jumped up. She was about to run towards him when she noticed his cold expression. He didn’t look at her at all. 

“Big brother!” Tsukasa also squealed, running forward and latching onto Hanako with both his arms and legs. “I missed you! Where were you all day?” 

“R-right.” Now Hanako’s face twisted strangely-- his eyebrows were furrowed together and his mouth opened in slight surprise. “Sorry. I was busy.” 

“By busy you mean helping this girl, right?” Tsukasa let go of him with his legs, but still clung onto Hanako’s arm. “She signed a contract, but you should have her, since you found her and all.” he released Hanako with a big smile, though this time he seemed genuinely happy. 

“Okay.” Hanako finally glanced towards Yashiro. His expression grew cold again, and she shrunk back slightly. “What’s your name?” 

“Yas- I mean, Hachi.” 

“Welcome to the bathhouse, Hachi.” he held out a hand. “Nice to meet you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might have to change the story rating because of tsukasa... lol; it was really fun writing for all these new characters though! i hope i did them justice, especially kou and yako :,) since they are my favorites 
> 
> thank you for reading!!!


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